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Location : Elsenburg, South Africa
Study
:
Evaluation of field
liners on gum posts in the
experimental vineyard plot.
Dates : 1997 - 2006
In July 1997,
Agricultural Research Council (ARC)
in South Africa installed 300 gum
(Eucalyptus) posts with Field Liners
in their experimental vineyard at
Elsenburg for the purposes of a long
term field trial which sought to
evaluate the Field Liners and also
the impact of different pruning
methods.
After 5 years, in
July 2002, the ARC was able to
report some findings by way of a
letter describing the condition of
the posts that were fitted with
field liners. The full text of the
letter is provided before but in
summary, the 5 year conclusions were
:-
-
The posts used
were said to be of a poorer
standard than the creosoted pine
poses that are normally used (and
hence might be expected to rot
quicker than standard quality
posts).
-
Although ARC
were very sceptical of the quality
of the posts, they were still
surviving after 5 years and no rot
was visible on any of the posts
-
There was no
creosote leaching visible on the
soil surface around the posts with
Field Liners whereas there were
creosote leachates visible on
non-lined poles
-
After 5 years
it was evident that the Field
Liners were serving their purpose
to prevent the rotting of the part
of the posts that are in the soil
and ‘might prove to be
environmental friendly’
Below are some
photographs taken after 8 years of
the study. From these photographs it
is clear that there is a high level
of creosote retention and very good
creosote penetration in the lined
pole that was extracted and the
Field Liner opened.
The project at
Elsenburg was terminated during 2006
as ARC had completed their research
on the farm. After nine years in
the ground, none of the Field Lined
posts had rotted.
Summary & Conclusions
Whilst the
Elsenburg Field Trials have not been
conducted in accordance with ASTM or
AWPA test methodologies, the results
are impressive and provide long term
evidence of the efficacy of the
Field Liner technology. Creosote
retention and penetration levels are
high, the posts show no sign of
decay and the Field Liner has
prevented creosote from leaching
into the environment. This is what
the Field Liner will achieve for
Utility Poles irrespective of the
type of wood or preservative used.
Below is the
letter provided by the
ARC in July
2002
ARC Institute for Fruit, Vine and
Wine /LNR Instituut vir Vrugte,
Wingerd en Wyn
Private Bag / Privaatsak X 5026,
Stellenbosch7599,
South Africa /
Suid-Afrika
Tel: (021) 809 3100
· Fax:
(021) 8093400 (Infruitec) ·
Fax: (021) 809 3002 (Nietvoorbij)
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